Carnival games
Egg-Carton Bean Race
Start with an egg carton. Write a number, from one to six, in each cup
on one side of the egg carton.
Write the numbers in order or mix them up. Write the same numbers in the
cups on the other side. Each player picks up beans by sucking through a
straw. Use big beans, such as lima beans, that won’t go through the
straw. The number of beans put into each cup must match the number in
the cup. The player who finishes first wins.
Tiddlywinks
Tin-Can Bowling
Arrange ten tin cans in the form of a triangle. Stand about 6 feet (2 m)
away and roll a ball at the cans. See how many cans you can knock down.
Use a tuna or cat-food can for the cup. Use flat buttons for the playing
pieces. Paint each group of four buttons a different color. Each player
gets four buttons plus a larger button to use as a flipper.
Draw a circle on the ground. Put the can in the center of the circle.
Place the pieces at the edge of the circle. Try to flip the pieces into
the can. If you miss the can, you must flip the piece from where it
lands. The first one to flip all his pieces into the can wins.
Sailboat Race
Tin-Can Toss
First, color and cut out a paper sail. You can write your name or a
number on the sail. Poke a toothpick through the sail. Then, put a
little lump of Plasticine modeling clay in a bottle cap or jar lid. Push
the toothpick into the clay. Fill the kitchen sink or a washtub with
water. Gently put the boat on the water. Use a drinking straw to blow
your boat across the water. The first boat to reach the other side wins.
Glue six tin cans together to form a triangle. Paint a number, from one
to six, inside each can. If you use tempera paint, mix in some laundry
detergent. Stand back and try to toss six buttons or pebbles into the
cans. The player with the highest score wins.
Rabbit Race
Use a piece of stiff cardboard about 12 inches (30 cm) long. Draw a
rabbit on the cardboard, as shown. Cut out the rabbit and color it on
both sides. Punch a hole just below the head. Thread about 10 feet (3 m)
of string through the hole. Tie one end of the string to a chair leg.
just high enough for the rabbit s back legs to rest on the floor. Jerk
the string to make the rabbit walk. When it reaches the chair, tilt it
toward yourself and make it walk back to you. The first rabbit back
wins.
